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THE WANT MONSTERS

Name: THE WANT MONSTERS
Author: Chelo Manchego
ISBN: 978-1-61180-365-5

AND HOW THEY STOPPED RULING MY WORLD

by Chelo Manchego ; illustrated by Chelo Manchego ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 21, 2017

A child-friendly introduction to the challenging work of knowing one’s mind.

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The child narrator in this story has a Want Monster. Want Monsters aren’t bad; everyone has one. However, this one has grown much too big.

The protagonist’s Want Monster, Oskar, is “ginormous.” When the child, depicted as a pale-skinned, freckled stick figure with a large round head and three strands of sticking-up hair, eats a cupcake, Oskar insists on four more. When the child plays a video game, Oskar forces continued play, to the point of repetitive stress injury to the thumbs. The child realizes that always listening to Oskar leads to unhappiness, but fighting or outrunning Oskar is impossible. The child tries instead to just let Oskar be Oskar without always reacting to him. It’s difficult, but over time Oskar shrinks into “Oskarcito,” a tiny Want Monster. Published by a press known for its titles on personal growth and spirituality, this picture book successfully introduces children to the concept of using mindfulness to observe one’s thoughts and desires. With its universal message of taming the impulse to overindulge, this title is relevant for both Buddhist and secular audiences. The humor, bright color palette, and sketchlike quality of the illustrations keep the Want Monsters from being too scary for young readers. However, because the action in the illustrations takes place on just the bottom third of the page, they can at times be hard to read.

A child-friendly introduction to the challenging work of knowing one’s mind. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-61180-365-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Shambhala

Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)